ES2393579T3 - Cap and sleeve set - Google Patents

Abstract

A golf course hole and a flagpole assembly (8) comprising: a liner (10) of the hole of the golf course hole; a flagpole (11) having a ceramic bushing (30) at one end thereof; a ceramic coupling element (50) located within the liner (10) of the hole in the golf course hole and configured to support the ceramic bush (30) of the flagpole (11); and wherein the ceramic bush (30) supported includes a ceramic-with-ceramic interface between the socket (30) and the coupling element (50).

Description

Cap and sleeve set

Countryside

The apparatus refers to a mounting device for a flagpole, and in particular, to a bushing and a coupling element for mounting the flagpole on a golf course hole.

Background

In order to support a golf flagpole inside a golf course hole, the flagpole is normally attached to a bushing, which is usually formed from a soft metal, such as aluminum, zinc or alloys of zinc, at the lower end of the flagpole. The metal bushing facilitates the insertion of the flagpole into a receiving hole located in the center of the golf course hole, which is often made of plastic. In this way, the flagpole is placed to show the flag and the location of the hole to an approaching golfer.

When the traditional metal cap is received in the plastic hole of the golf course hole, there may be a tendency for the two components to stick together. When this happens, golfers can take part or all of the hole from the golf course when they try to remove the flag. This problem is even more pronounced in a desert or in a high humidity environment, where sand or moisture can be trapped between the hole and the bushing to allow the bushing and the hole to stick together.

US 6,722,997 B2 describes a golf course hole comprising a tubular housing, support elements disposed within the housing and defining a central hole for receiving a replaceable plastic sleeve. The sleeve, which has an upper end and a lower end, fits perfectly in the central hole. The upper end of the bearing element has an annular flange supported by a projection of the support elements. The lower end of the sleeve element extends below the support elements and is provided with an annular groove to receive an O-ring to keep the sleeve element in a fixed position. US 6,722,997 B2 also describes a plastic sleeve for a metal golf flagpole adapter.

In an effort to reduce the glue between the bushing and the hole, several modifications of the bushing have been carried out. For example, ribs have been provided along the faces of the bushing body in order to reduce the contact surface between the bushing and the hole. In addition, the side walls of the bushing have been given an inward taper to further minimize the contact surface and allow the pole to be removed more easily. However, these solutions have the disadvantage that the ribs often leave an insufficient contact surface to provide a stable coupling, and the conical side walls may result in excessive inclination of the flagpole or cause the flagpole flag is susceptible to movement even with moderate breezes.

As golf is understood primarily as an outdoor sport, under normal weather conditions, different types of debris or other materials can fly into the hole of the golf course. Leaves, sand, pebbles, cut grass, dirt and the like can regularly fall into the hole of the golf course and get caught between the bushing and the hole the bushing receives. This causes the debris to get clogged between the bushing and the hole, which can cause them to stick together and even cause the golfer to extract, at least partially, the hole from the ground. In addition, debris such as sand or stones that get stuck between the plastic walls that form the receiving hole and the soft metal of the bushing can cause damage to the hole and the bushing, which accelerate wear and corrosion.

The sand and dirt on the “green” of a golf course often contain fragments of flint or quartz. In addition, many routes use coarse-grained sand - fine arid with sharp edges that generate straight and pointed blades of grass - as a component of the golf course. These fragments can become lodged between the bushing and the receiving hole, causing them to stick together and also creating abrasions, since friction occurs between the metal bushing and the plastic sleeve. Over time, as the flagpole of the golf course is removed and then placed back into the receiving hole repeatedly, any of these fragments housed between the cap and the receiving hole can wear away the plastic from the golf course hole and cause damage to the soft metal bushing and / or wear its outer diameter to a smaller dimension. All this can cause that there is insufficient contact between the bushing and the inner wall of the receiving hole, which leads to the flagpole being able to tilt, move or even fall under certain conditions. This corrosion and abrasion problem may require periodic replacement of the metal bushings and the plastic holes of the golf course holes.

Debris accumulated in the hole in the hole can also cause a flagpole and the associated bushing not to be properly inserted into the receiving hole because the debris interferes with the proper insertion of the bushing into the hole. The situation can lead to insufficient support of the flagpole of the golf in the hole and can cause the flag to tilt or even fall with a breeze. A fallen or sloping flag is not useful for an approaching golfer, because it provides misleading information about the exact location of the flag.

An attempt to address these issues involves the installation of a metal insert in the hole of the golf course hole to receive the metal bushing. Although the metal insert prevents wear of the plastic hole itself through repeated removal and insertion of the bushing, this solution still has some drawbacks. Rubbing metal with metal can still lead to scratching or damaging the bushing and the insert, and if the metal in the bushing and the metal in the insert are different, any moisture in the hole could cause other problems, such as galvanic wear. In addition, the metals normally used in caps and inserts (i.e. zinc, aluminum, bronze) are still soft compared to most of the sands, stones, or other particles that usually fall into a hole in the golf course. . Therefore, even with a metal insert these wastes can still cause scratches, minor deformations, and accelerated wear and corrosion in the metal bushing and metal insert.

Consequently, there is an interest in a mounting device for a flagpole and a golf course hole that provides wear resistance and allows easy insertion and removal of the shaft without disturbing the hole embedded in the ground.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of an example of a golf hole hole inside assembly;

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the assembly of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the assembly of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of an example coupling element for use in the assembly of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of an example of a bushing for use in the assembly of Figure 1; Y

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the bushing and the coupling element shown coupled together.

Detailed description

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a golf course hole and a flagpole set 8 are illustrated. In one embodiment, the assembly 8 includes a plastic hole hole liner 10 for a golf course and a flagpole 11, which can be used in an area around the hole (green) of a golf course, tread area or similar. The liner 10 of the hole in the golf course includes a liner tube 12 of a normally cylindrical hole defining a space 13 that receives the golf ball. The tube 12 has a conical zone 14 which extends inwardly in the generally inclined space 13, which defines a plurality of openings 16. The conical zone 14 normally has three to four openings 16 to allow water and waste they fall through them towards the bottom of the tube 12, but it should be understood that the conical zone 14 can have any number of openings 16. In the center of the conical zone 14 a hole 18 is received which receives the bushing through which a cap 30 when inserted into the liner 10 of the hole in the golf course. Extending from the conical zone 14 downwards there is an annular retaining wall 20, which defines an annular cavity 22. Housed in the annular cavity 22 is an insert or coupling element 50, which is preferably formed with the same material as the bushing 30 The liner tube 12 and the retaining wall 20 are shown with walls that are generally vertical, but it will be appreciated that they can have a smooth angle of inclination, especially if they have been manufactured using injection molding techniques. In a preferred embodiment, the liner 10 of the hole in the golf course is made of plastic, but it will be appreciated that it can be formed of metal, for example aluminum.

Turning now to Figures 2-4, an embodiment of the coupling element 50 is illustrated in greater detail. In this kind of embodiment, the coupling element 50 is an annular insert, which has an outer wall 56 and an inner wall 58 defining an bore 52 that extends through the coupling element. A first or upper end 51 of bore 52 ends in a chamfer 54, which slopes outwardly to complement a corresponding surface 40 in bushing 30 (ie, figure 5). As described below, the coupling element 50 is preferably formed of a non-metallic material such as ceramic and, more preferably, of a composite ceramic material.

During use, the coupling element 50 is housed in the annular cavity 22 such that the outer wall 56 of the coupling element 50 is adjacent to the annular retaining wall 20 of the tube liner 12. Preferably, the coupling element 50 is inserted into the cavity 22 from the bottom of the liner 10 of the hole in the golf course hole and is held therein by at least one fastening element 69. As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, an example of embodiment of the fastener 69 is a plurality of screws 70 and washers

80. Although three screws and washers are shown, it will be appreciated that the coupling element 50 could be held inside the cavity 22 using any number of fasteners 69 or with different fastening methods, such as friction fixing, clips, bolts , adhesive, glue, adhesive tape, flanges and the like, as long as the fastening elements 69 secure the coupling element 50 inside the cavity 22. In one embodiment, an outer diameter D1 (Figure 4) of the coupling element 50 is greater than an inner diameter D2 (FIG. 1) of the receiver hole 18 of the bushing such that the coupling element 50 can be fully accommodated within the cavity 22 using the clamping element 69, a lower surface 19 of the conical zone 14 , and retaining wall 20.

Turning now to Figure 5, an embodiment of the bushing 30 is shown in greater detail. The bushing 30 is preferably an elongated cylindrical element configured to slide through the receiving hole 18 of the liner 12 and to be removably inserted into the bore of the coupling element 50. To facilitate its insertion into the bore 52 of the coupling element, the bushing 30 preferably passes from a lower end 32 to an annular side wall 49 through an external chamfered edge 42. During use, the chamfer 42 helps guide the bushing 30 through the hole 18 and then also towards it, anima 52 of the coupling element 50 (ie, figure 6). When inserted into the coupling element 50, the bushing 30 stops when the inclined lower surface 40 of the bushing 30 comes into contact with the chamfer 54 of the coupling element. The chamfer 54 and the inclined lower surface 40 are preferably complementary to each other forming an interface between the bushing 30 and the coupling element 50 which is generally inclined with respect to the bore 52 to generally increase the stability of the bushing 30 in the hole 10.

The inclined surface 40 also forms an annular extension or lip 38 in the bushing 30. For example, the inclined lower surface 40 tilts outwardly from the side wall 49 forming the annular lip 38 in which the bushing 30 has an outer diameter D3 greater than an outer diameter D4 of the side wall 49 (figure 5). Above the lip 38, an inclined upper surface 36 passes inward to the upper end 34 of the bushing 30. The upper end 34 defines a first opening 43 of a first or upper bore 44. The lower end 32 of the bushing 30 defines a second opening 45 of a second or lower bore 46. A lower part of the flagpole 11 is preferably inserted a distance inside the first bore 44 of the bush 30. In a preferred embodiment, the bush 30 and the pole 11 of the flag are joined using epoxy glue; however, it will be appreciated that the flagpole 11 and the bushing 30 can be assembled by means of an adhesive, clamp, friction fixation or any other suitable method for connecting a bushing and a flagpole.

The first bore 44 extends inside the bushing 30 and preferably ends in an annular lip 48 extending inward, in which the flagpole 11 stops when inserted into the bore 44. The bushing 30 also includes preferably the second or lower bore 46 so that any loose debris that may have fallen into the hole of the hole 10 of the golf course can be pushed or caught in the bore 46 when the bushing 30 is inserted into the coupling element 50. In this way, any loose residue will have less opportunity to prevent the entry of the bushing 30 because such waste will be housed in the bore 46 instead of between the bushing 30 and the coupling element 50. As a result, the bushing 30 will be more likely to reach the desired quality of contact with the coupling element 50. A preferred embodiment has the bore 46 in direct connection with the bore 44, with the transition between the two defined by the annular lip 48, but it will be appreciated that the relative depths of these spirits could vary and that the bore 44 and 46 might not connect at all (that is, they can have a segment of material between them). It will also be appreciated that bore 46 may not be present in certain embodiments of bush 30.

In a preferred embodiment, the bushing 30 and the coupling element 50 are both constructed basically from the same non-metallic material such as ceramic, and preferably basically from the same composite ceramic material. In one embodiment, the bushing 30 and the coupling element 50 are formed primarily from an aluminum oxide compound (Al2O3), of the type of aluminum oxide compounds supplied by CerCo, LLC (Shreve, Ohio), but it will be appreciated that the composite material may also contain zirconium oxide, silicon nitride and / or mixture thereof. The ceramic material may also include a minor component or secondary material. For example, the minor component may include any mineral included in the spinel mineral class, another crystalline material or an amorphous (i.e., non-crystalline) material. For example, the minor component may be MgAl2O4. For the purposes of this document, spinel refers to a class of minerals that crystallize in the isometric system with an octahedral pattern.

The bushings and coupling elements constructed from the same ceramic materials have many advantages over the conventional metals or plastics used to construct receivers and receiving holes of the prior art. Preferred compounds for bushings and coupling elements described herein have Vickers hardness values in excess of about 980HV5 (kg / mm2), which is usually hard enough to basically resist damage from any residues, stone, sand. and the like, which are located on a course of a golf course or in the environment of treading. Preferred materials also have a tensile strength of approximately 124 MPa (18 kpsi) or greater (ACMA Test # 4) and a compressive strength of 1620 MPa (235 kpsi) or greater (ASTMC-773-74). Instead of being scratched or damaged by debris, the bushings and coupling elements described herein preferably crush or pulverize any residue trapped between them, generally due to the hardness of the ceramic material used to form the bushing and the coupling element. . In addition, the preferred compounds are normally chemically inert and normally undergo few changes after exposure to moisture or temperature gradients. Furthermore, since the bushing 30 and the coupling element 50 are of the same non-metallic materials, they are generally not exposed to galvanic corrosion.

The bushing 30 and the coupling element 50 formed from ceramic compounds can also be manufactured with greater tolerances than their metal and plastic counterparts. The holes and holes of the metal / plastic hole of the prior art, for example, have tolerances that normally create a space of approximately 0.772 to 1.27 mm or greater between them when assembled. On the other hand, the bushing 30 and the coupling element 50 formed from the ceramic materials described above can be manufactured to have a space 90 of only about 0.127 to 0.254 mm between the inner wall 58 of the coupling element and the side wall 49 of a coupled bushing 30 (figure 6). The smaller space 90, together with the hardness of the ceramic composite material, normally allows the bushing 30 to enter the coupling element 50 and eject, crush or pulverize any particle or residue that could otherwise be lodged between the two and scratch or damage their surfaces. The smaller space 90 also allows the side wall 49 of the bushing and the inner wall 58 of the coupling element to have a more important contact and normally capable of holding the flagpole 11 vertical, even in windy conditions.

In addition to higher tolerances, the use of ceramic materials in the bushing 30 and in the coupling element 50 allows a smoother surface than that of the metal and plastic components of the prior art. For example, the side wall 49 of the bushing and / or the inner wall 58 of the coupling element may have a surface finish (roughness) of approximately 16 RMS or less, which is smoother than most molded or machined metals and many treated plastics (that is, a typical metal bushing has a surface finish of approximately 20 to 40 RMS). This smooth surface finish allows the bushing 30 to slide in and out of the bore 52 of the coupling element 50 with low friction and in some cases minimizes, and preferably eliminates, the sticking or seizing of the bushing in the hole liner.

Thus, the hole of the golf course and the flagpole assembly 8 allow the bushing 30 to easily slide in and out of the coupling element 50 with a minimum, if any, of bonding. At the same time, embodiments of the present specification minimize, and preferably eliminate, scratching, corrosion or other damage because the bushing 30 and the coupling element 50 have a relatively narrow space 90 therebetween and because they are both hard enough to normally prevent debris from damaging bushing 30 and in coupling element 50. The small space 90 also allows an important contact between the bushing 30 and the coupling element 50 to provide a more desirable level of stability to the flagpole 11. Chamfer 54 and inclined contact surface 40 further provide additional stability. Therefore, the embodiments of the present specification normally keep the bushing stable and allow the flagpole 11 to be kept straight even in the presence of wind, humidity or debris.

While embodiments of the described apparatus have been described in the foregoing, it will be understood that other details, materials and arrangements of the parts and components that are within the scope of the claims are possible and are intended to be included in the present invention.

Claims (19)

1.-A golf course hole and a set (8) of flagpole comprising: a lining (10) of the hole in the golf course; a flagpole (11) having a ceramic bushing (30) at one end thereof; a ceramic coupling element (50) located inside the liner (10) of the hole in the golf course hole and configured to support the ceramic bush (30) of the flagpole (11); and in which the ceramic cap (30) supported includes a ceramic-with-ceramic interface between the bushing (30) and the coupling element (50). 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a space of less than about 0.254 mm between the ceramic bushing (30) and the ceramic coupling element (50). 3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the ceramic bushing (30) and the ceramic coupling element (50) are both made from an aluminum oxide compound. 4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the aluminum oxide compound has a Vickers hardness of approximately 980HV5 or greater. 5. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the aluminum oxide compound has a surface roughness of approximately 16 RMS or less. 6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the ceramic coupling element (50) is an annular element that defines an bore (52) therethrough, sized to slidably receive therein at least a part of the ceramic bushing (30). 7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the hole in the hole of the golf course defines a cavity

(22)

 sized to receive the ceramic coupling element (50) therein.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the ceramic coupling element (50) is secured in the cavity

(22)

 with at least one fastener (69).

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the cavity (22) is defined by an annular wall (20). 10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein at least one fastener (69) is secured at one end of the annular wall (20). 11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the ceramic coupling element (50) defines an bore (52) therethrough; the bushing (30) is configured to be slidably received in the bore (52) of the ceramic coupling element (50); and wherein the ceramic coupling element (50) and the bushing (30) are basically constructed from the same non-metallic material that has a Vickers hardness of at least about 980HV5. 12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the non-metallic material has a tensile strength of at least about 124 MPa (18 kpsi) and a surface finish of about 16 RMS or less. 13. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the nonmetallic material is a ceramic composite. 14. The material of claim 13, wherein the ceramic composite material includes aluminum oxide. 15. The assembly of claim 11, wherein at least a part of an outer diameter of the bushing (30) is smaller than an inner diameter of the bore (52) of the ceramic coupling element, such that a space between them it is less than approximately 0.254 mm. 16. The assembly of claim 11, further comprising a chamfered edge (54) defining an opening for the bore (52) of the ceramic coupling element at one end thereof, whose chamfered edge (54) increases the stability of the received cap. 17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the bushing (30) has an inclined surface (40) configured to contact the chamfered edge (54) of the ceramic coupling element (50) when received in the bore ( 52). 18. The assembly of claim 11, further comprising a chamfer (42) inclined inwardly at one end of the bushing (30) to normally guide the bushing (30) towards the bore (52) of the ceramic coupling element. 19. The assembly of claim 11, further comprising a fastener (69) for securing the ceramic coupling element (50) in the liner (10) of the hole of the golf course hole. 20. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the liner (10) of the hole of the golf course hole includes a retaining wall (20) defining a cavity (22) dimensioned and configured to receive therein ceramic coupling element (50).